Bleeding after using dilators

Hi Aquabambi 

Good to see you post again, but sorry to see you’re having this worry. 

Have you contacted your CNS to check what she says and whether or not you need another check up? It could be radiation damage which makes the area more susceptible to bleeding, but I think I’d want to have a check to be reassured.

I didn’t have any bleeding with the dilators in the weeks immediately after treatment but then suddenly started to have bleeding, not a lot each time, which was when I was diagnosed with my recurrence. This was 9 months after treatment ended. Sorry that this won’t be the news you would want to hear, but I think it’s important for you to flag the bleeding to your team.

I hope it’s just radiation damage and nothing more to be worried about, but keep us posted if you can.

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah

How are you? 

I was going ok until today! Now I’m just worried :-/

In hospital next week having my stent procedure, will I hope will make a big difference for me

Thanks, will contact CNS. Literally had MRI scan last week - which is where they’ve picked up that there is still a slight abnormality on my cervix. And due PET & CT scans end of months with results due early Aug. Eek.

Will keep you posted 

x

I’m really sorry to have caused you worry but it was just my story and may well not be yours.

It’s always difficult to know whether or not to say anything when someone asks a question if you know that you personally don’t have something positive to say in reply. I just remember the shock at seeing blood after so long without seeing any. 

I had an mri after picking up there was maybe something there and then followed this up with a biopsy under anaesthetic but I was much longer out of treatment than you are when it happened to me so it was more of a shock.

Fingers crossed it can be explained by thinning tissue or other damage after radiation. 

Sarah xx

Oh no, sorry, I meant worried since my phone call this morning - not from your reply!

My bad!!

I 100% appreciate your reply and experience, as always lovely x

Ah, I see! I just hate to upset anyone in the group but can appreciate you’d be worried already having seen the blood. Oh, all of this is just so stressful, isn’t it? One thing done and then something else pops up to keep us concerned. Keep us posted!

Sarah xx

Yep it seems to be never ending at times!! X

Good luck with your stent procedure-I hope it makes things better for you.

Sarah xx

Hi Aquabambi

So sorry that you are having this anxiety. I had traces of blood for approximately the first eighteen months whilst and after using the dilators. I wouldn't go so far as to say I bled exactly but there was definitely blood on the dilator and on toilet paper afterwards. I did mention this to my team at checkups but they seemed to think it was pretty normal and now there is nothing at all.  Definitely get it checked out but I hope it is nothing out of the ordinary.  I dunno if this is relevant but I hope it helps a little x

Hi, I finished my treatment last October, is it too late to start using dilator? 

Hi Bongo26 and welcome to our group.

I’m not sure of your treatment, but am assuming you’ve had radiotherapy? I was told about using dilators while I was still having treatment, and started using them once I’d finished having radiotherapy. My kit was provided by the nhs radiotherapy nurses. Are you in the UK? 

Normally it seems that the advice is to use them regularly after treatment, so I’m not sure what the effect would be of starting now. I was told to use them to make future internal examinations easier and to avoid things “closing up”, but I presume you have had internal examinations since your treatment ended? Do you have a specialist nurse you could chat to?

Apologies for so many questions, but you haven’t given us much information in your post, so it’s difficult to give you answers.

Sarah xx